Rovers call for Wanderers points deduction

BRISTOL Rovers are calling for Wanderers to be docked points that would see the club relegated in response to them breaching regulations involving agents.

The Gas have today announced they will be launching legal action after Wanderers admitted to breaching FA rules following the sale of Matt Phillips.

The Aylesbury-born player left Adams Park in 2010 but Rovers say the deal that took him to Blackpool handed Wycombe a "wrongfully obtained competitive advantage" last season.

Rovers claim the Adams Park side could have further flouted regulations and say Wanderers "appear to have breached rules on Third Party ownership".

Blues survived at the Pirates' expense on the last day of the season, but the Bristol club say they would have retained their Football League status if Wanderers had been handed a points deduction.

A statement issued today read: "It has come to the attention of Bristol Rovers FC that Wycombe Wanderers FC appear to have breached FA rules on Third Party Ownership.

"Its current chairman, in giving evidence at a recent FA Disciplinary Hearing, appears to have admitted a serious breach in respect of the player, Matt Phillips (and possibly other players).

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"The result of this led to Wycombe wrongfully obtaining a competitive advantage over Bristol Rovers.

"Without this, Wycombe rather than Bristol Rovers could have been relegated.

"Bristol Rovers were relegated merely on goal difference, and as the breach, if proven, would have almost certainly led to a points deduction, Bristol Rovers have instructed specialist sports lawyers together with Nick De Marco, a leading sports barrister, to draft and send a complaint to both The Football League and The Football Association."

Wanderers pleaded guilty to breaching regulations and were last week handed a £10,000 fine by the FA and warned as to their future conduct.

It's understood Phillips' agent Phil Smith was to be paid a proportion of the 25 per cent sell-on fee instead of a commission when the player left Wanderers.

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Wycombe Wanderers Trust sold the sell-on fee ahead of Phillips' transfer to QPR last year, and Smith approached the club again with the former Blue primed for a move back south.

The Trust instead reported the matter to the FA and later admitted to breaching rule C2 of The FA’s Football Agents Regulations.

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Comments (5)

Oh dear, Wanderers caught cheating again. No worries we always get let off lightly after this sort of thing.

Oh dear, Wanderers caught cheating again.
No worries we always get let off lightly after this sort of thing.NickClogg

Oh dear, Wanderers caught cheating again. No worries we always get let off lightly after this sort of thing.

Score: -16

mowgli1960 says...6:36pm Tue 27 May 14

We were fined £10,000 end of story. This is just the Rovers board trying to convince their fans they did everything they could to keep their place in The Football League.Let them waste their money on a spurious claim if they want it's just desperate and pathetic! Oh it's funny as well!

We were fined £10,000 end of story. This is just the Rovers board trying to convince their fans they did everything they could to keep their place in The Football League.Let them waste their money on a spurious claim if they want it's just desperate and pathetic! Oh it's funny as well!mowgli1960

We were fined £10,000 end of story. This is just the Rovers board trying to convince their fans they did everything they could to keep their place in The Football League.Let them waste their money on a spurious claim if they want it's just desperate and pathetic! Oh it's funny as well!

Score: 12

Jock's little helper says...6:41pm Tue 27 May 14

What a sad excuse for a club - pirates by name, pirates by nature

What a sad excuse for a club - pirates by name, pirates by natureJock's little helper

What a sad excuse for a club - pirates by name, pirates by nature

Score: 18

Jock's little helper says...7:11pm Tue 27 May 14

Bristol Rovers should get their own house in order first by sorting out the thug element that caused problems at Wycombe (twice) and against Mansfield before accusing Wycombe of administration irregularities.

Bristol Rovers should get their own house in order first by sorting out the thug element that caused problems at Wycombe (twice) and against Mansfield before accusing Wycombe of administration irregularities.Jock's little helper

Bristol Rovers should get their own house in order first by sorting out the thug element that caused problems at Wycombe (twice) and against Mansfield before accusing Wycombe of administration irregularities.

Score: 10

evenflo says...7:11pm Tue 27 May 14

Desperate action by the Rovers board. There is not the slightest link between their relegation and the Phillips transfer issue which has already been dealt with by the F.A.

Desperate action by the Rovers board. There is not the slightest link between their relegation and the Phillips transfer issue which has already been dealt with by the F.A.evenflo

Desperate action by the Rovers board. There is not the slightest link between their relegation and the Phillips transfer issue which has already been dealt with by the F.A.

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